Lenovo IdeaPad Y400 and Y500 Multimedia Notebooks Arrive

The new Lenovo IdeaPad Y400 and Y500 notebooks launched this morning at the IFA 2012 show in Berlin Germany.

These new notebooks focus on multimedia users with a new feature from Lenovo called the UltraBay. This interchangeable opening allows users to switch between dual graphics, more storage or an extra fan for better cooling.

Lenovo IdeaPad Y500

The IdeaPad Y400 features a 14-inch display and the Y500 offers a 15.6-inch display. Both models use a 1366 x 768 resolution.

Users expecting power won’t be disappointed to find that the new IdeaPad Y series notebooks can be configured with up to an Intel Core i7 third generation processor and up to 16GB of RAM. For storage users can opt for up to 1TB of built in storage with the option for up to a 16GB SSD cache to speed up boot and application responsiveness.

The Y series notebooks include an “intelligent Touchpad, which the company boasts is optimized for the new Windows 8 interface that will require more scrolling, zooming and rotating.

Users can choose a DVD drive or a Blu-Ray drive, and there’s Dolby Home Theater v4 audio paired with JBL speakers to help deliver better sound for movies and gaming.

Lenovo claims the Y500 and Y400 will deliver up to 3 hours of battery life, which is quite low in today’s notebook market.

The Y400 weighs in at 5.51 pounds with the 6 cell battery, and the Y500 is heavier at 6.39 pounds.

IdeaPad Y500 Specs

The IdeaPad Y400 and Y500 arrive in October starting at $649. There is no price for the IdeaPad Y series UltraBay add ons at this time. Expect more information when Windows 8 launches in late October.